1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a needle attachment to be removably attached to the distal end of a syringe cylinder for supporting a hypodermic needle which may be selectively detached from the needle attachment and relocated from the distal cylinder end to a relatively proximal position within the cylinder, so that a used syringe may be disposed of without having to handle or destroy the needle.
2. Prior Art
Hypodermic syringes are used for a variety of injection procedures including the delivery of medicinal drugs to a recipient. However, once the injection procedure is completed and the syringe cylinder emptied, problems may arise as a consequence of failing to properly and adequately dispose of the syringe. By way of a first example, the syringe may be used to treat a patient having a communicable disease. To prevent reuse, the hypodermic needle is sometimes broken before the syringe is discarded. Health care workers are susceptible to accidental and potentially infectious needle strikes due to the careless handling of the hypodermic needle when breaking the needle or disposing of the syringe after use. The resulting mini-accidents caused by an accidental needle strike typically require a blood test for such diseases as AIDS and hepatitis. The corresponding cost and inefficiency of testing health care workers who have received an inadvertent needle strike result in considerable waste, which may be particularly damaging to a health care facility striving for economy and efficiency.
The following U.S. Pat. Nos. provide examples of syringes having a hypodermic needle which may be withdrawn into the syringe cylinder after use:
2,722,215 Nov. 1, 1955
4,026,287 May 31, 1977
4,507,117 Mar. 26,1985
However, in none of the aforementioned patents is there disclosed a hypodermic needle carrying attachment which may be removably attached to the distal end of a syringe cylinder for supporting a hypodermic needle therefrom, so that the needle may be removed from the syringe along with the needle attachment, or the needle may be detached from the needle attachment and relocated from the distal end to a relatively proximal position within the syringe cylinder. Moreover, none of the aforementioned patents shows a syringe assembly having a needle attachment which is adapted to be efficiently and effectively used in a double needle technique, where a first needle, by which the syringe cylinder is infused with a fluid medication, is replaced by a second needle by which the medication is injected from the syringe to the patient. Any reasonable attempt to use the aforementioned syringes in such a double needle technique will likely, and undesirably, necessitate the increased handling of the hypodermic needle which may adversely impact sterility or increase the chance for an accidental needle strike and the spread of contagious diseases.